Established in 2003, the Carolina Center for Jewish Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill unites the general public, students and faculty from various academic disciplines who share a common passion for a deeper understanding of Jewish history, culture and thought.

This seminar will familiarize students with classic works of Holocaust historiography as well as with newer works that challenge old interpretations and methodologies. We will investigate debates about the origins and historicization of the Holocaust; the role of Hitler in decision-making and the Nazi bureaucracy; the development of antisemitism; the uses of sources, from archival documents to victim testimony; theories of genocide and colonialism; comparative genocide; memory and the “myth of silence”; and other themes. Readings will ask how historians can write a narrative reconstruction of events while “probing the limits of representation,” in the words of Saul Friedländer.

Study Abroad:Argentina
The UNC Study Abroad Office, the Romance Studies Department and the Center for Jewish Studies are delighted to offer an undergraduate summer study abroad program in Spanish with a focus on immigration in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This interdisciplinary program will highlight immigrant life in Buenos Aires, one of the most multicultural and historically diverse cities in Latin America. The Jewish culture and history will also be studied in a transnational frame, addressing immigration and global issues. Since the nineteenth century and following a national immigration policy, Buenos Aires grew to be the home of the largest Jewish community in Latin America and one of the largest urban Jewish communities in the world. Modern Buenos Aires offers a rich, diverse life along with other historical and cultural opportunities for students to explore. This is a UNC faculty-led program.Learn more: UNC Study Abroad web siteProgram flyer: fa16_flyer_argentina

Excavations this summer in the Late Roman (fifth century) synagogue at Huqoq, an ancient Jewish village in Israel’s Lower Galilee, have revealed stunning new mosaics that decorated the floor. The excavations are directed by Jodi Magness, a professor in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill College of Arts and Sciences, along with Assistant Director Shua Kisilevitz of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The mosaic panels decorating the floor of the synagogue’s nave (center of the hall) portray two biblical stories: Noah’s Ark and the parting of the Red Sea. The panel with Noah’s Ark depicts an ark and pairs of animals, including elephants, leopards, donkeys, snakes, bears, lions, ostriches, camels, sheep and goats. The scene of the parting of the Red Sea shows Pharaoh’s soldiers being swallowed by large fish, surrounded by overturned chariots with horses and chariot drivers. For more information

Reconsidering Antisemitism: Past and Present
April 10-12, 2016The Center hosted a three-day conference featured academic panel discussions, two keynote lectures, and student research.Thank you to all who attended the conference. We have recently added the following: program guide, photos and videos and student research posters from the conference.

Distinguished Service: For more than a decade, Eli Evans, ’58, founding chair of the Center’s advisory board, has been visiting Professor Marcie Cohen Ferris’ classroom to meet with her students. This month he combined the classroom visit with receiving the Dean’s Award for Distinguished Service in the College of Arts and Sciences, which recognizes individuals who have served the College through exceptional vision, commitment and leadership.

Investing in Students… and their Exceptional Research: Research topics explored by Carolina students have ranged from Jewish communities in Moldova, to Jewish-American composer Kurt Weill, Jewish and Islamic schools in North Carolina, Holocaust survivors in Lithuania, and Israeli medical centers. Their research topics and travel destinations are as diverse and individualized as the students themselves, but one thing remains constant—they need funding to pursue these projects. Read more about how our students spent their summer.